Philadelphia Cultural Management Initiative Awards Grants Totaling $905,000 to Strengthen Arts & Culture Organizations

The Philadelphia Cultural Management Initiative (PCMI) at the Pew Center for Arts & Heritage has announced its 2009 Fund for Action grants to strengthen local arts and culture organizations.  From a pool of 30 applicants, PCMI awarded nine grants totaling $905,000.  Among them were two first-time applicants and five first-time grantees.

“PCMI recognizes the challenges confronting arts and culture organizations especially during these difficult economic times, and we are pleased to help them meet those challenges,” said Martin Cohen, PCMI's director. 

Fund for Action grants support the creation of vital staff positions, implementation of new technology, financial systems upgrades and other investments that strengthen an organization's ability to fully realize its mission.

“At a time when nonprofit arts and culture institutions are concerned about the immediate future, PCMI, through its project grants and educational programs, helps local organizations adapt to the rapidly-changing environment,” said Gregory T. Rowe, Pew's director of Culture Initiatives and deputy director of the Philadelphia Program. “The Fund for Action will help groups plan for the short- and long-term future so they can continue to serve their missions and deliver high-quality programs for audiences throughout our region.”  

The 2009 Fund for Action grant recipients are: the Arts & Business Council of Greater Philadelphia ($120,000), The Academy of Natural Sciences ($85,000), Bristol Riverside Theatre ($85,000), Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance ($120,000), Lantern Theater Company ($85,000), People's Light & Theatre Company ($120,000), Philadelphia Live Arts Festival and Philly Fringe ($85,000), Philadelphia Mural Arts Advocates ($85,000), and Settlement Music School ($120,000). Full grant descriptions are attached.

The Fund for Action is awarded through a competitive, adjudicated process by a panel of administrators and experts in organizational development.  The panelists included: André Kimo Stone Guess, President of GuessWorks, Inc. (Montclair, NJ); Katherine Knowles, Executive Director at the Zeiterion Performing Arts Center (New Bedford, MA); Christopher Mekal, organizational consultant (Boston, MA); Regina Smith, Arts and Culture Program Officer with The Kresge Foundation (Troy, MI); Rena Zurofsky, Rena Zurofsky Consulting (Stockbridge, MA); Sara Kellner, Principal of Kellner Consulting (Houston, TX); Kathleen P. Bateson, President & CEO of the Arts Center of Coastal Carolina (Hilton Head, SC); Joseph Carvalho, President and Executive Director of Springfield Museums (Springfield, MA); Buff Kavelman,  Founder and Principal of The Kavelman Group (New York City, NY); Bruce LaRowe, Executive Director of the Children's Theatre of Charlotte (Charlotte, NC);  Eric Tschanz, President and Executive Director of Powell Gardens (Kingsville, MO); Susan Franano, Executive Director of the Tucson Symphony Orchestra (Tucson, AZ).

The Philadelphia Cultural Management Initiative is a program of The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage.  Created in 2001, PCMI offers a broad menu of options for learning through seminars and workshops as well as financial support through grants for targeted organizational development. Since its inception, PCMI has provided $4,532,350 in project grants and an additional $899,400 in professional development grants.     

PHILADELPHIA CULTURAL MANAGEMENT INITIATIVE
2009 GRANT RECIPIENTS:

The Academy of Natural Sciences – $85,000
Replacement of the Academy's financial software system, providing greater flexibility and access to financial information, upgrading fundamental infrastructure resources to support the research and educational mission of the Academy, and introducing staff to new technologies and improving productivity.

Arts & Business Council of Greater Philadelphia – $120,000
Support the creation of a new full-time position, Director of Legal Services, to oversee the daily intake of client requests; update and maintain protocols for providing assistance efficiently and professionally; and provide training for both the volunteer law students and volunteer attorneys through the Philadelphia Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts program.

Bristol Riverside Theatre – $85,000
Establish the position of Managing Director in direct response to extensive assessments, and in light of growth and transition at the theatre.

Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance – $120,000
Support the hiring of a new full-time Controller to manage finance, accounting, and human resources administration and compliance. The position will also work to establish or enhance financial systems, controls and reporting that inform and support all areas of the Cultural Alliance's work, including policy, marketing, membership, development and grant making.

Lantern Theater Company – $85,000
Support the hiring of a Development Associate. This new position will focus on the company's day-to-day operations, providing the needed support that will allow senior management and department heads to focus on implementing long-term strategic goals.

People's Light & Theatre Company – $120,000
Retain the consulting services of Target Resource Group for a 24-month period to improve and expand audience-building initiatives and make the best use of marketing investment.

Philadelphia Live Arts Festival and Philly Fringe – $85,000
Support the development and execution of a plan to substantially increase individual gifts. Funding will afford this organization the ability to attract a seasoned development professional with the experience and sophistication to create and execute a comprehensive plan.

Philadelphia Mural Arts Advocates – $85,000
Support a new permanent position of Director of Strategic Planning and Partnerships to expand the organization's role as a thought leader and resource and improve the quality of its programming and planning capacity.

Settlement Music School – $120,000
Support the transition within Executive Director position, including the hiring of a nationally recognized consulting firm to conduct a search for a new Executive Director and support for interim senior leadership during the transition process.

Home Page Photo by Mark Garvin. William Shakespeare's Julius Caesar at People's Light & Theatre Company.